Little Jay
by theL3monTart
Summary: Based on the Batman movie: Return of the Joker. Only, it's Dick Grayson not Tim as Robin. The team and Batman have been searching for Robin for a month, and finally found a lead. However, they weren't fully prepared for what they are about to face.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I know I haven't been updating my other stories lately, but I couldn't help but write this :P**

**Like I said, its based of the movie Batman:Return of the Joker, where Tim Drake gets turned into..well I guess you'll have to watch or read my story to find out! Except instead of Tim, its Dick grayson. YJ Robin. **

**I changed things up abit, especially since I added the team in and took out Batgirl. Anyways, I still hope you guys enjoy it! :D**

**Disclaimer: DC owns the characters and I guess this time, part of the story as well :P**

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><p>It had been a whole month since Robin went missing. No one knew who, where or what took him- only that he was gone. The league, the young justice team and especially Batman aka Bruce Wayne, spent every day they could looking for him. But without any clues to his whereabouts, their search was proving unfruitful.<p>

That is.. until one fateful dark, and stormy saturday night.

It had been months since the little bird's appearance and even the Batman himself was starting to lose hope. However today, while in search for his young protege, he stumbled upon something unusual as he flitted across the all to familiar rooftops of downtown Gotham. Batman cautiously crept up towards a large, colourful box, taking out a batarang for protection as he inspected the object closer. It seemed harmless until the Dark Knight brushed his gloved hands against its surface, revealing a toy clown on a spring which sprung out and swayed back and forth in the air like a Jack in a box. A jack in the box with a bomb tapped securely to its white glove that is.

Batman leapt out of the way just as it exploded, letting out rainbow colored confetti and streamers that fell softly around him almost like multi-coloured snow. The dark knight crept out from his cover and began scanning the area for clues, his eyes eventually resting upon a tattered piece of white fabric. As he held it up in the moonlight, he noticed familiar features on the dirtied cloth and gripped it tightly in his hands.

It was a straight-jacket.

"Arkham.." he growled out before ripping the cloth in half.

…..

As much as Bruce hated to admit it, he needed help taking down the Joker as well as rescuing Robin. Most of the league was away on a mission, so he called in the Young Justice team for back up. They arrived to the rooftop as soon as Batman had called them, eager to finally see their missing friend again. Kid Flash was practically vibrating in his boots as Batman strode up the ship's ramp and sat down into a seat.

He directed Miss Martian to the location, the old Arkham Asylum located in the Upper East Side of Gotham. It had been abandoned and partially demolished when the new Arkham facility was built and was uninhabited. Well, at least everyone had thought it was.

…..

Batman and the team, consisting of Kid Flash, Artemis, Miss Martian, Superboy, Aqualad, Rocket and Zatanna, were on the edge. Practically jumping off the ship, and ran towards the large wooden doors.

Batman ordered the team to stay silent as they entered the building, which was quiet until they heard someone singing. It was the mocking bird song, a song everyone knew quite well. However, this time it was sung in such a creepy tone that it chilled the team to the bone.

Batman instructed the team to split up halfway, directing them to head upstairs and stay hidden as he walked towards a room the voice was coming from. He burst through the doors with a kick, coming to stand in a brightly lit room. Harley quinn, Joker's infamous girlfriend, stopped her singing and smiled at the masked hero.

She tilted her head upward and called out "Puddin! Company!"

Batman looked up and saw none other than the Joker, reading the newspaper, which he had now put down to greet his unexpected guest.

"Hello there! Welcome to our happy home!" said the Joker as he walked down the stairs from the second floor and stopped next to Harley.

Batman squinted his eyes and glared at them. "Where is Robin." he grunted in his steely voice.

"Robin?" the joker asked, a confused look on his face as he turned to look at Harley. She returned his confused gaze. "There's no Robin here."

"Maybe he means our little Jay?" Harley replied.

From the corner of his eyes, Batman noticed the team sneak into the room from the platform above. They spread out and hid behind the railing, blocking themselves from the view of the two deranged clowns.

"Of course!" Joker snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

It was now Batman's turn to look confused, though it hardly showed on his face. The Joker turned his head to stare at a blue curtain. Bruce followed his gaze and pushed Harley aside as he approached the covering.

"Nu uh! No peeking!" Harley said playfully as she brought out a bazooka and pointed it at the bat. Batman turned around just as she pulled the trigger, and found himself wrapped tightly in a pink ribbons that covered his body from just above his knees, to his shoulders. His hands were exposed though.

The team saw all this happening, and were about to leap into action when they noticed Batman glare at them, signaling them to stay put. They nodded in understanding and hid back into the shadows.

"Mommy's little helper." Harley commented, patting her weapon. The Joker kissed her slightly on the cheek before turning back to Batman.

"You know Bats, we've been doing this little run around of ours for years and its been loads of laughs! But the sad fact is, none of us are getting any younger."

"That old clocks a ticking." Said Harley as she patted her stomach.

"Quite right poo! And Harley and I were thinking it was time to start a family. Add a Joker junior to our merry brew."

"But rather than go through all the _joy_ of child birth, we decided to adopt."

Joker and Harley held each other's hands and strode happily towards the blue curtain. As they passed him, Batman brought out a small penknife and secretly began cutting through the ribbons.

The two villains stopped in front of the curtain and looked down at their captive.

"Couldn't do it legally" the Joker began again. "but then we remembered you always had that kid hanging around.. So we _borrowed_ him."

The Joker smiled sinisterly as he opened the curtain revealing a room enshrouded in darkness. In the middle of the room, stood an single operating table. Batman and the team's eyes widened in horror as they noticed a figure, lying motionless on it. Only its feet were seen though, as the rest of its body was hidden from the light.

"No." Batman gasped in shock. Megan and Artemis held onto each other, the Martian on the verge of crying. Rocket was near them as well, squeezing their shoulders attempting to calm them, and herself, down. Conner took a step backwards and clenched his fists tightly while Kaldur just stared in anger, and silently cursed in Atlantean.

Zatanna clasped her hands over her mouth, preventing her from letting out the scream she was desperately holding in. Wally was shaking. Not only from shock, but from anger, hatred, sadness, agony. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew exactly who was on that table.

Joker pulled out a remote and pointed it at the table. He pressed a button and table started to move out of the shadows and closer toward Batman and the team.

"He needed a little molding of course. What kid doesn't? But in time we came to love him as our own." The maniacal clown bent down and smiled at his 'son'. "Say hello Jay jay."

The figure jumped off the table, and was now exposed fully in the light. And there, to the team's and Bruce's horror stood their lost teammate, friend and son. 'Robin' tilted his head upwards, his face as white as the Joker's, and a similar creepy smile etched on his face. He was wearing a purple suit and his hair was now a murky green, much like the Joker's. Suddenly, the boy began to laugh, though it wasn't like the carefree, playful ones his teammates were used to. His laugh now sounded as maniacal as Gotham's clown prince himself, and it sent chills down their spines.

Batman finally had enough of it, ripping apart the ribbons that had bound him after they were loosened once he cut through them a bit. He threw his knife at the Joker, straight at his head. But the clown merely tilted his head to the side, and the knife flew harmlessly pass his head.

The Joker started laughing now, wiggling a finger at the Dark knight, taunting him. Batman lunged at the Joker, who pressed a button and leapt onto the operating table. Bruce ran after the crazed clown as he remote controlled the table to drive out of the room. Turning the corner, both men disappeared from sight.

Harley was holding onto her little Jay when the team finally took action, easily overwhelming her. Artemis delivered a kick to her head, and the female clown dropped unconscious on the ground.

The team rushed to Robin, who was staring at Harley's body on the floor; his creepy smile remained on his pasty face. Wally rushed up to his best friend and gripped his shoulders, shaking him in desperation.

"Rob! Rob!" he yelled at the boy. Robin tilted his head back and started laughing again. "Dick! It's me, Wally! Can you hear me, dude?"

Suddenly, a yellow colored gas filled the air from the air vents, and soon the team found themselves on the floor. Robin stood smiling at his former team before turning to leave the room. His laughter, seemed to echoed throughout the building as he walked through the doors.

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><p>Sorry for the lack of vocab.. and spelling mistakes.. tell me how you felt about it though :D I really appreciate them!<p>

Continue or not to continue, that is the question.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes, I know its been a loong time since I update this! Sorry! :P **

**Anyways, some announcements about this chapter: I don't wanna spoil anything, but something 'unfortunate' does happen to the Joker. Most of the dialogues (especially the ones Joker said) were taken directly from the show. Copyright: DC COMICS! I tried to change things up a bit near the end though, I hope you guys enjoy reading it!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favs and alerts guys! :D**

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><p>Batman rounded a few corners; hot on the Joker's trail when suddenly a small yellow bomb sporting a crooked smiley face, rolled out from under the medical table Joker was riding on. Heading straight in Batman's direction. The dark knight leapt out of the way and wrapped his Kevlar lined cape around his body, shielding himself from the bits of falling debris. When he lowered the covering, Joker was gone. Instead, the clown left behind a trail for Batman to follow.<p>

A trail of broken pieces from Robin's birdarangs.

Bruce picked up a piece and clenched it tightly in his fist as anger boiled within him. He followed the trail and eventually found himself standing in front of a entrance of a big theater-like room. Rows of red clothed chairs lined the walls.

Bruce took a few steps forward and began scanning the room as rain poured and lighting cracked outside. The light flashed in, illuminating the room, through the glass windows near the ceilings.

"What's the matter Batman?" Joker's voice echoed through the room, stopping Bruce in his tracks. He looked around even harder now, quickly surveying the area and turning around to watch his back every few seconds. Bruce ran across the room, trying to locate the source of the voice as the Joker began to speak again.

"No witty comeback? No threat?" Joker taunted.

The dark knight skidded to a halt when the lights in the room were suddenly turned off. "Then I'll provide the narration." The Joker said menacingly, as a light began to shine on the projector screen on Batman's right. The words 'Our Family Memories' shone brightly on the unfocused screen playing a pre-recorded video.

"I'll begin with how I affected young Robin's make over." The joker narrated, as the video changed to display the crazed clown himself, standing next to a table piled with all sorts of weapons, devices and even some other random things like a toilet plunger.

"Oh he bravely tried to fight it at first. You would have been proud to see him soo strong."

The video changed again and now showed Robin, Dick Grayson, strapped by his arms, waist and ankles to a medical table. Trying desperately to break free of his restraints; thrashing around wildly, pulling at the binds.

Bruce's eyes widened in horror as he watched the Joker clip on large metal pegs on the sides of the table and turned on a switch. Electricity coursed through Robin's body, as he arched his back and let out screams of agony.

"But all too soon the dear lad began to share such secrets with me. Secrets that are mine alone to know.. Bruce." Smiled the Joker as Bruce narrowed his eyes.

"It's true, Batsy! I know everything. And kind of like the kid who peeks at his Christmas presents, I must admit it's sadly anti climatic. Behind all the sturm and batarangs, you're just a little boy in a playsuit crying for mummy and daddy. It'd be funny if weren't so pathetic.. awwww What the heck, I'll laugh anyway!" Joker began laughing uncontrollably from the small display room he was hiding in, when suddenly Batman burst through the glass and punched Joker in the face.

Joker was thrown to the ground from the impact and attempted to crawl away, but Bruce grabbed him roughly by the collar and punched him a few more times before hoisting him off the ground.

"If you don't like the movie, I've got slides." the prince of Gotham smiled through bloodied teeth. Bruce seethed with anger, throwing the Joker out of a window into another room.

Joker crashed on top of some giant baby blocks with a groan. He glanced down and found 'Robin' staring up at him. His small creepy smile still plastered on his face.

Joker smiled in response and turned to look behind him, finding Batman who grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against a wall.

"I'll break you in two." Bruce growled; sending a murderous batglare at the Joker as he pulled back his fist, about to punch the Joker.

"Hoho Batman." The Joker laughed. "If you had the guts to do that kind of fun, you would have done it _years_ ago. I on the other hand..".

Joker pulled out a knife hidden in his pocket and swiped at Bruce, eventually plunging the blade into the hero's thigh. Bruce lost his footing by the surprise attack and tumbled backwards down the boxes, landing with a pained grunt in front of Dick.

The Joker leapt down from the boxes and knelt beside Bruce, who could no longer find his strength to fight due to his injury, as well as the mass of swirling emotions going through his head. Pain, anger, frustration, sadness, but most of all guilt, from not being able to save his son.

The clown prince of Gotham pulled Bruce up so that he looking directly at Dick, and tossed his 'Little Jay' a gun that was on the floor.

"Now junior, deliver the punch line.." he smirked.

Dick started laughing again as he held up the gun and pointed it at Bruce. "Dick." Bruce cried, his face twisted in pain and anguish as he stared sadly at his son. It was obvious Dick was trying to fight it, as his arms and knees started shaking, and he sometimes motioned to put down the gun.

Just then, the team burst threw the room with Harley handcuffed and unconscious. "Robin!" Megan yelled as she realized what was happening. Wally was about to run forward, when Joker held up another knife and placed it against Batman's throat.

"Nu uh. Little kiddies, no spoiling our fun unless you want Bats here to meet a more painful end." Said Joker, as he moved the blade closer to Bruce's neck. The team reluctantly took a few steps back, cursing themselves for not being able to do anything as they continued to watch Robin fight himself.

"Do it!" the Joker yelled. Dick closed one of his eyes as he took aim, still laughing maniacally all the while.

The gun went off... and Joker flew backwards hitting a wall. The clown slowly lifted his head and took note of the sharp metal stick with a 'BANG' sign on it imbedded in his chest.

"That's not funny.." the Joker gasped. "That's not.." he breathed out; collapsing onto the floor, letting out a final breath.

The team and Batman stared motionless at both Robin and the Joker's dead body. Dick's loud, crazy laughter slowly died down and turned into sobs. The smile that was forcefully stretched across his face had vanished and tears were flowing down his cheeks.

The team finally shook out of their stupor, Wally being the first, and skidded to a stop beside his best friend. He wrapped his arms around the little bird, as did the rest of the girls when they reached the both of them. Together, they held their precious team mate and little brother in their arms.

"It's going to be alright." Wally cried, tears streaming down his face. "Rob, it's going to be alright."

Conner and Kaldur helped Batman stand up and brought him towards his son. As they approached Dick, the boy jumped out of his team's embrace and hugged his mentor tightly, crying into his shoulder. Batman, returned the hug and rubbed Dick's back soothingly.

"It's okay, Dick." He whispered into his son's ear, tightening the hug. "Your safe now. Your safe."

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><p>I'm thinking of continuing by adding my own version of what I think would happen next.. should I? Let me know!<p>

Also.. did ya like it? hate it? **Please REVIEW, I'd like to know what you thought about it! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! You wanted more so I'm giving you more! :D To tell you the truth, I'm not too happy with this chapter though.. I used the same words waaay to much! O.O I still hope you guys like it though! Thank you for all the reviews, favs and alerts! Review again and you'll get a bat shaped virtual cookie! :D**

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><p>Bruce wrapped Dick in his arms and carried him to the area where the bio ship was hidden. The broken boy wonder let out small pained giggles between sobs, as he cried into his father's shoulder. The team followed behind as they hurriedly made their way to the ship.<p>

Once everyone was inside, Megan closed the ship's hatch and flew it off the ground, heading back home to the mountain. Bruce sat with Dick on his lap, hugging the boy tightly.

"Wait." The Dark Knight suddenly said, startling the team. "Set course for the Batcave."

"Th- the Batcave?" Wally spluttered. "You're letting us go to the Batcave?"

Bruce nodded. "It is closer than the mountain from our current location. I'll send you the coordinates."

He typed into his wrist computer for a few seconds before Ms. Martian finally said, "Got it. ETA 3 minutes." and turned to fly the bio ship to the intended location.

The bio ship fell into silence again as the team frowned at their teammate with worry. They knew Robin was gonna get through this, he was never one to quit. But if he did need some help, they'd make sure they were behind him every step of the way. They were going to get their teammate, friend, little brother, back to normal if it was the last thing they'd do.

…..

After 3 long, agonizing minutes they finally arrived at the Batcave. Well, above the Batcave actually. They team looked out the window and found themselves floating above a large mansion on top of a small hill; tall, black gates stretched around the residence keeping out unwanted visitors. Bruce ordered Megan to set down the ship in the forest at the back of the mansion, guiding her to a clearing in between the trees.

Suddenly, Artemis let out a gasp, and the team turned to look at her in surpise. Everyone except Wally that is, who was still focused on Dick. He knew for years who Dick and Bruce were, and had been over to Dick's house a bajillion times already, so this was nothing new to him.

"Hey, isn't this.. Wayne manor?" she finally got out, as they all ran into the house via the back door.

"We will discuss this matter later." Huffed Kaldur, trying to keep up with Bruce's pace. "What we need to do now is get Robin some medical assistance."

She nodded in understanding and continued running. The team stopped just seconds after Bruce did, in front of an old grandfather clock. He reached behind, and a 'click' sound was heard before the clock moved up against the wall, revealing a set of stairs leading down a dark corridor.

The team followed Bruce down the stairs, the narrow hallway they were running along grew wider and wider, until it eventually opened up into a large open space. A cave. A cave filled with all the latest tech, batmobiles, weapons, a massive computer, and many other devices. Along another side of the cave were souvenirs Batman and Robin picked up from previous mission, including a giant penny, a large playing card and a tyrannosaurus rex, to name a few.

The team froze in astonishment and took in the sight as Wally continued running alongside Bruce till they reached the bottom of the stairs. An old man wearing a pressed black suit stepped out from the shadows to greet the unexpected visitors, but stopped to gasp when he saw Dick in Batman's arms.

"Good heavens! Master Bruce, what has happened to him?" the man yelled as Bruce walked up to him.

"Joker." Bruce growled. Anger was beginning to boil up in him again. "He got Robin and did.. _something_ to him. I'm going to figure out how to reverse this, but until then, run all the normal tests and procedures. Call Dr. Leslie and ask her to get here as soon as possible."

The man bowed, and ran to the phone and began dialing in a number. Bruce turned to the team motioned them to follow him towards a row of hospital beds lined up against a corner of the cave wall. He gently laid Dick onto one of the beds, and brushed the hair away from his sweaty face. Dick had stopped crying by now, but wore a tired expression on his face. His empty eyes stared back at his father as he continued to hold tightly onto Bruce's cape.

Bruce kneeled down and grasped Dick's hand in his. "Listen Dick, I'm going to leave you with the team for awhile while I try and figure out how to cure you." He said soothingly, surpising the team. They'd never heard Batman speak like this before. His voice was so full of hurt and worry.

"I'll be back soon, alright? Stay strong, Dick." Bruce turned and looked at team, who nodded back at him.

"We will make sure Robin is well looked after." Said Kaldur.

"I know you will. Thank you. Kid Flash, you will follow me to try and find a way reverse the effects while the rest of the team will stay with Robin."

Wally nodded and ran ahead of Batman to the main computer, sending a worried look at his best friend as he passed by. Bruce had to pry his hand away from Dick's as the boy let out a cry of protest. "B-bru-ce." He struggled to say, gripping tighter onto his hand.

"Dickie, I'll be back. Don't worry. I'm just a room away if you need me."

Dick started to cry again, but reluctantly let go of Bruce's hand. Megan, Zatanna, Artemis and Rocket surrounded him and tried to calm him down.

Batman glanced at Kaldur and Superboy, sending them a nod before turning to leave. They nodded back and joined the girls as the old man ran back into the room with a blonde middle-aged woman running behind him.

"Everyone, please step side." She ordered, pushing through the team. Finally getting a better look at Dick, the woman paused for a moment, obviously shocked at the sight of the young boy before her. She shook herself from her stupor and proceeded to examine his body. While checking Dick over, the scared, confused boy glanced at his team beside him. He reached out his arm, asking them to come closer. They looked at the doctor who gave them a nod, and they all huddled in, standing around him.

"It's okay Robin. Everything is gonna be fine." Zatanna whispered, holding onto his hand.

Suddenly, Dick started laughing madly again, despite the tears running down his pasty face. "Br-bruce!" he gasped between laughs, as the team looked down at him with pained expressions.

Doctor Leslie quickly reached for a syringe on the medical table and emptied the liquid inside into Dick's arm. The laughs turned into chuckles which then turned into giggles and eventually the sounds stopped all together. Dick squeezed Zatanna's hand before letting the familiar darkness consume him, drifting him into a restless sleep.

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><p>Sorry if RobinDick's crying a lot this chapter.. but think about it. He was tortured for a month! His mind is not in the right place right now. :(

**Review** to make his pain end! Cause the more reviews I get, the faster I update! :D (yes, i'm bribing you) Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this is a short chapter. I tried to be as clear as possible, so I hope you guys understood everything. If you think there should be anything that needs changing, please let me know :)**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favs and alerts! To those who reviewed the last time, I hoped you enjoyed your Bat Cookies! Review again and this time it'll be virtual Robin shaped cookies! **

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><p>Bruce and Wally scanned through whatever notes and findings they managed to gather on the latest Joker venom. Bruce pulled up images of its chemical and molecular structure, as well a list of chemical mixtures it was composed of, onto the large computer screen in front of them.<p>

"This looks bad…" Wally finally admitted with a shaky breath. He nervously combed his shaking hand through his hair. "Dick has been exposed to the serum for way too long. His cells are beginning to mutate, and I don't— Even if we do find a cure to reverse the serum's effects, it might already be too late."

Bruce glared at Wally, though the exact same thought was running through his mind. Wally was right. Being subjected to Joker's serum, Dick's cells were altered almost beyond repair. _Almost._ There was still hope. Bruce began typing rapidly on the keyboard, bringing up a list of chemicals. "Kid Flash, find these substances and bring them here." He ordered. Wally looked up at the list and realized what Bruce was trying to do. He nodded and flashed out of sight.

In about 20 seconds, Wally had gathered everything on Batman's list and laid the bottles of chemicals out onto a table. Bruce walked up to it and examined every bottle, eventually letting out a satisfied grunt. He then turned to Wally with a stoned expression.

"Joker showed me a video earlier of the type of _treatment_ he has been giving Dick for the past month. It would seem that Dick was not only injected with large amounts of Joker venom, but was also subjected to long periods of electrical shocks. This may be why his cells have been altered so severely, as the electrical charge fused the chemicals to the DNA more readily."

"So let me get this straight. You're thinking of using these" Wally points to the stuff on the table "Which are the main components used to counter Joker's venom, along with a large electrical charge _hoping_ it might changed his DNA back to normal?"

Bruce nodded. "It's the only chance we have."

…..

Bruce and Wally were busy mixing together the ingredients, when they heard the zeta tubes in the Batcave announce the league's arrival. Superman, Wonder woman, both Green lanterns, Aquaman, Martian manhunter, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Flash, Green Arrow, and Roy, stroded in with very worried expressions on their faces.

"We came over to check on how the search for Robin was going." Stated Clark.

Batman stared at the man of steel for what seemed like minutes before finally saying, "We found him."

Many of the league members sighed in relief and smiled. "Phew.. good to know the kids alright!" exclaimed Barry. He looked at his nephew, expecting to see him in a cheery mood, but was only met with sad, worried eyes. Wally looked at his Uncle and then at the floor.

"Well, the thing is.. He's not really 'alright'."

"What do y-." Barry was interrupted when a very loud, maniacal laugh echoed through the cave.

"He's woken up again! Quick, hand me another sedative!" they could here the faint voice of a woman, coming from around the corner.

The league members' took shaky steps forward. The sound of the laughter grew louder and louder with each step they took. Finally, they came upon a strange sight. The whole Young Justice team, minus Wally, was huddled around a hospital bed, standing beside a blonde woman and an old man. The source of the laughter seemed to be coming from the centre of the large group.

"Guys! What exactly is going on? Where's Robin!" Roy shout out, startling the team. Conner and Kaldur, who were standing at the front of the bed, moved out of the way in shock from the sudden arrival of unexpected guests.

The league stared speechless at the figure lying on the bed and though he looked very different, they knew exactly who they were looking at.

"R-Robin?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapterrrr~ Thanks for the favorites, alerts and reviews, guys! :D **

**You know, I just gotta say something about the first episode of season 2. And in one word, this is what I thought of the episode: NIGHTWING xD**

**Haha! That aside, on to the story! **

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><p>"R-robin?" the members of the league gasped, and stood paralyzed on the spot. The young justice team stared at them before turning back to look at Dick, who was now unconscious yet again from the sedative.<p>

Conner turned to the stunned heroes and spoke in a saddened tone. "Yup. He's Robin.. We infiltrated Joker's hideout and found him like this. Batman and Wally are trying to find a way to changed him back."

The league slowly approached the table and gazed at the sleeping former boy wonder. His dark green hair was matted to his forehead from the sweat, tear marks traced the sides of his face, and his pasty white face was screwed up, showing that he was in deep pain.

Diana knelt down beside the bed and reached out her shaking hand to hold Dick's. She brushed away the hair on his forehead, whispering comforting words as she did so.

"What happened to the Joker?!" Oliver asked, obvious anger in his voice.

Roy clenched his fists. "Yeah! Where is that son of a—" .

Kaldur stepped up to address the heroes. "The Joker.. has met his end."

The league's eyes widened as they stared at the Atlantean boy.

"What? When? How? Who?" Barry asked frantically.

"Joker was attempting to force Robin into shooting Batman with a gun. But at the last second, Robin changed targets and shot the Joker instead. I believe the body is still there, as we were more focused on getting Robin some medical attention."

"I have already informed the police and they have already collected the Joker's body." Alfred, the Batbutler stepped forward. "Harley quinn and the rest of Joker's henchmen have also been arrested and sent to jail."

The league nodded and returned to staring at the sleeping Robin. Suddenly, Dick's eyes shot open again, followed by his insane laughter echoing around the cave once again. His faced stretched into the creepy smile, reminding them of the Joker's. The team and league stumbled back in surprise as the boy jumped off the table and ran across the room.

"After him!" Artemis yelled, and was the first to sprint into action. The rest of the heroes followed soon after; the ones who could fly raced on forward the attempted to grab the boy.

Though his mind had been altered, Dick's body had remembered all of his training, and fluidly moved out of the heroes' desperate grasps. He even jumped onto Superman's back, when he the man of steel missed an attempt to grab him, and used it as a springboard to launch himself at Hal. Hal was not expecting the sudden attack, and could only watch as Dick dropped down onto him, sending the green hero towards the ground.

After ditching Hal, who was struggling to pull himself out of the small crater he made from the fall, Dick continued running across the room. He turned back to look at the heroes behind him, and smiled creepily at them. While his head was still turned, the front of his body bumped into something and he was sent stumbling backwards, landing on his butt. Dick stared up at the dark, caped figure that was blocking his way and the smiled faded from his pasty face.

"Bru- Bruce?" he asked, lips quivering and his eyes began to tear again. Bruce knelt down and allowed the boy to wrap his arms around his neck. Dick let of a heart-wrenching cry, as he tightened his grip around his father. The group of heroes watching from the side had pained expressions on their faces.

"Tati, te rog nu mă lăsa din nou." Dick begged, tears streaming down his face.

"Sunt aici, e in regula. Totul o sa fie bine." Bruce answered back, and rubbed soothing circles on Dick's back.

After a few minutes, the crying eventually died down, and the former boy wonder had once again fallen asleep. Bruce carefully carried him off the ground and laid him down gently back onto the hospital bed.

"What happened?" he asked, turning to Doctor Leslie.

She frowned and rummaged through her medical bad while saying, "It seems that the sedatives are not working. I gave him an earlier dose which should have lasted for at least 2 hours, but he managed to sleep it off in a matter of minutes."

"The Joker's venom has altered his DNA and cell structure, so now the sedative are not as effective." The dark knight answered. The doctor nodded, and pulled a syringe from her bag, filling it with a higher dose of sedative liquid. Since Dick was already asleep, she set it aside on top a table.

"So.. have you figured out away to get him back to normal?" Barry asked, looking at his nephew.

Wally nodded. "Batman and I are preparing the stuff now. We should have everything ready in about 15 minutes."

Barry, Hal and Oliver followed Bruce and Wally back to the lab area to try and help shorten the preparation time, while the rest of the league and the team sat near Dick, watching him sleep.

"Don't worry guys, he's going to make it through this, I just know it." Rocket said, attempting to comfort her other teammates.

"You're right. This is Robin were talking about! I'm sure he's going to come out of this just fine and annoy the heck out of us later for not staying traught!" The heroes smiled sadly and gazed at the sleeping boy once more.

He was going to make it through this, and they'd be there beside him every step of the way.

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><p>Translations: (I got these from a translator, so I don't know if its correct)<p>

Dick: "Daddy, please don't leave me."

Bruce: "I'm here, it's okay. Everything's going to be alright." :3

**PLEASE REVIEW! Thank uuuu~**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, I know its been months since I've last updated this story.. but its really because I was stuck and didn't really know what to do with it next. I now roughly have an idea planned out, but I'd love to hear your ideas! They are much appreciated!**

**Thanks again to everyone who favorited, story alerted, and reviewed! :D As always, I do not own young justice or the justice league, they belong to DC comics~ but... maybe one day...**

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><p>The moment of truth had finally arrived, as Dick was strapped down against the hospital bed by his both ankles and wrists. He pulled against his binds and trashed around wildly, trying to break free. Only to be held back down by his teammates and Roy. The rest of the league members stood off to the side, deciding to observe from afar.<p>

With the help of Doctor Leslie, Batman succeeded in inserting the needle, linked to the bag containing the counter serum, into Dick's ghostly pale wrist and kept it in place using a whole roll of medical tape. They then fixed they two large electric devices, which looked a lot like large clothing pegs, along the sides of the metal table. Securing it firmly in place, they group prepared themselves for the start of the procedure.

"He's going to be awake for the whole thing, isn't he?" Wally frowned, his voice but a soft whisper.

"I'm afraid he has to." Bruce replied darkly. "His system has rejected all the painkillers and sedatives we have administered him so far."

The dark knight walked up to his sniffling protege and stroked his hair gently as dark blue eyes stared into lighter ones. Usually, the league and young justice members would have gasped from such show of affection from the usual stoic bat. But today, everyone in the room could feel the pain and worry radiate off his person. Especially the Martians.

The more Bruce stared at Dick, the more he didn't want to go through with this. The man just couldn't bring himself to his son in even more pain, even though he knew this was the only way to return him to normal. As Bruce closed his eyes contemplating his options, he felt a small hand grip onto his own. He opened his eyes and gazed at the hand, before bringing his eyes to look at its owner.

Dick clenched into his father's arm tightly. "B-bruce." he whispered, before smiling a genuine smile. A smile Bruce hadn't seen in months. Unlike all the hauntingly, crooked smiles the group had seen today, this one shone with kindness and understanding.

"Its o-okay, Bruce. D-do what y-you have to do-o." he struggled to get out, all the while keeping his gentle smile.

Bruce bent down to wrap his arms around the boy's shoulders. "Dick." he squeezed tighter. "It's going to be alright. Be strong."

Dick nodded, and leaned into Bruce's shoulder. A second later, Dick's moment of sanity was lost again. As a giggle escaped his throat and his smile stretched out wider than before, resembling the man he had killed just a few hours ago.

Bruce backed up away from the table that held his son, and walked to the main computer which was displaying Dick's vitals. He checked over the procedure one last time before nodding softly at Wally. The teen speedster recognized his cue. Turning to grip onto the lever that would start the machine that would soon electrocute his best friend.

Wally hesitated. Knowing that his was going to help Dick, but would also bring him unimaginable pain. Suddenly, he felt another hand on top of his own slightly calming his nerves. He turned to find Artemis standing beside him, smiling softly. He smiled back and nodded, before finally bringing his hand down activating the machine.

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><p>I know it was kinda short.. but i really wanted to update something since u guys have been so patient! Thanks agn for reading! Please review! xD<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**I have no excuse to why this took so long. I'm so sorry for leaving you guys hanging. I've really got to stop making new fanfics when I haven't completed other ones first! -smacks myself on the head- Owwww! But I deserved that. ;_;**

**Nothing interesting really happens in this chapter really. Its pretty much just how the team, league and bruce feel while watching Dick. I just really thought I owed you guys this chapter! Its been wayy too long since my last update. I can promise you though that I'll update more regularly 2 weeks from now, cause thats when my exams are overrrr! Huzzah! **

**Anyways, I still hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please review! I really appreciate every review, fav and alert I get! Thank you for supporting me! **

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><p>Dick's agonizing screams echoed through the cave as the machine sparked to life. The boy helplessly tugged at the binds covering his hand and ankles, his back arched in an almost perfect semicircle as wave after wave of electric pulses coursed through his small frame.<p>

The bats that were hanging overhead let out screeches of panic and confusion, having been startled by the young bird's screams, and were flitting around the cave in a frenzy.

The team and league watched the boy with pained expressions. Most of the female heroes were crying at this point, trying to avert their eyes. The protégés of the older heroes moved to stand beside their mentor for comfort and support as they painstakingly watched the grueling procedure.

Bruce and Alfred stood as close to the operating table as they could, not wanting to be too far away from Dick but knew that they couldn't stand too close to the boy. The both of them were practically shaking on the spot (especially Bruce) from having to force themselves from not just rushing up to their little bird and setting him free.

Dr Leslie stood behind the two worried adults, looking over the machine and was making sure that the frequencies and dials were operating properly and stayed below the red danger zones. She was going to make sure this procedure was a success. Though she had never mentioned it before, she truly did care for the young boy as well and was always worried for both Bruce and Dick's health when the dark knight often requested for her assistance.

Though the league was probably more used to seeing pain, torture and even sometimes death, for the young justice team this was their very first experience. Seeing someone, especially their own teammate, be exposed to such pain... they were definitely going to need another one of Black Canary's therapy sessions after all this.

"Please! Stop! I'll be good! I promise! It hurts! BRUCE!" Dick suddenly began calling out for help.

His voice was filled with such despair, hopelessness and suffering that everyone in the team and league, expect for bruce and alfred, took a step forward.

He called out Bruce's name several times more times, but when he realized that the man wasn't answering to his pleas, he began crying for members of the league as well. After hearing his name for about the fifth time, Clark could no longer hold his composure and moved to shut off the machine. Before the boy scout could even take 3 steps though, Bruce was standing in front of him with a dark scowl on his face.

"Don't." was all the dark knight said as he glared at the man.

"But Bruce, he's in pain! We need to stop it!" Clark protested.

"No! Dick knew full well of the pain and consequences of this procudure. No matter how much we want to, we _can't!"_ the man growled through clenched teeth.

Clark could hear the obvious anger and hurt in Bruce's voice. After all though Dick was a dear friend and teammate to the other heroes, he was Bruce's _son_. Who wouldn't be in pain while watching a person they loved be tortured while they were helpless and useless.

Clark gave a slow nod. "You're right. I'm sorry for losing it."

"I understand. It's taking all of my own willpower to not just run over there and shut off that damned machine…" Bruce paused and took a breath. "But this is the only way we can save him."


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! Yes yes I know it's been more than a year since I updated this, but I've seriously been so busy and honestly, I lost interest in the story. I was going to put it up for adoption but thought, let me at least attempt to make a proper ending. So this is it! I now not alot of people are going to like how it ended, cuz personally, I don't like the ending, but I really needed to get the story out of my head. It was bothering me for such a long time, you have nooo idea.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story! Feel free to write your own version or whatever! Thank you everyone who read and supported the story! Stay Asterous everyone!

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><p>It was a grueling process. Seeing their youngest member fight against his bonds as surge upon surge of electricity shook his body. Wally felt sick, and after 10 minutes of hearing Dick's constant screams, he could no longer stomach it. He turned his head to look away from his struggling best friend, but refused to leave the room.<p>

He refused to leave Dick.

Looking around him, Wally could see that many of the league and young justice members felt the same way. His eyes eventually locked onto Batman, who was clenching his fist with such force that his nails had broke flesh and caused blood to trickle down his hand.

Wally squeezed Artemis's hand tighter. She squeezed back, and he focused on just her touch for the next half an hour until the Doctor finally spoke.

"The readings show that all the Joker's chemical has left his system. We can switch it off."

Bruce wasted not time; immediately walking up to the machine and finally shutting it off. He approached Dick and held onto his hand.

"His vitals are stable." Doctor Leslie stated from behind the machines. "But he would probably be unconscious for the next day or two. He's going to need a lot of rest."

Bruce nodded and unlatched Dick's restraints. He then gently picked Dick up and carried him to a bed nearby and hooked him up with various wires. The loud beeping of his heartbeat echoed against the cave walls, assuring the occupants that Dick was going to be alright.

After checking Dick over for about the 20th time, Bruce turned to address his guests.

"I thank you all sincerely for being there for Dick, but as the Doctor has said, he just needs rest now. I kindly ask all of you to please leave. I will keep you updated on Dick's condition."

Many of them looked like they wanted to protest but eventually nodded in understanding. One by one, each member gave their prayers and left the cave. Wally was the last to leave and before stepping through the zeta tubes, he turned to Bruce and pleaded, 'Please let me know when he's awake." his voice sounding worried and desperate.

Bruce, knowing how close the boys were, nodded his head. "Of course."

The young speedster thanked the bat once again before walking though the tubes and zeta-beaming back to Central City, leaving Bruce, Alfred, Doctor Leslie and Dick in the cave.

"How long do you think it will take him to recover Leslie?" Bruce asked the Doctor; part of him scared of the answer.

"If we were talking about anyone else I'd say a couple years. " She paused for a moment and turned to gaze at the sleeping boy. "But this is Dick. He's been beaten to the brink of death more than once. He's faced villains bigger and stronger than he is. He's been through hell and back… But he's got a strong heart and mind. He's shown his determination, his fearlessness, his selflessness."

The doctor shook her heard with a smile on her face. "Knowing him, he'll be up and running in a couple of months."

Alfred came up to Bruce and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You know Master Dick. Never one to settle down. Despite all this, he will without a doubt still want to be Robin."

The bat's face hardened. "But I won't let him."

Alfred and Doctor Leslie exchanged a look, knowing this was what Bruce was going to say.

"Master Bruce. You know I do not want this of Master Dick as well, but… you also know that we can't stop him. "

Bruce stared at his faithful Butler and friend for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "I know. But maybe what has happened these past few months will change his mind. We'll worry about all that later. For now, he needs to recover." Bruce said and swept away the sweat-drenched hair on Dick's forehead.

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><p>Wallys POV<p>

It's been about 1 month since we found Dick. I've been coming to the Batcave practically everyday to check on him, and even I'm amazed at the speed of his recovery. It helps that the league and the team are behind him every step of the way. There's never a moment he's left alone, expect for when he's bathing or using the toilet of course.

He makes it seem like the whole thing with the Joker never happened and that's good in a way I guess. It's better if he just forgot about the whole thing. That way, he can move on.

I watched him get better and better each day, that turned into weeks, then into months, until eventually 5 years had passed since the incident. Like Batman had predicted, after Dick was deemed physically and mentally able, he was back to being a hero. I tried to talk it out of him once, but he stopped me and said it was what he was meant to do. Knowing how stubborn he can be, I didn't push him any further. The most I could do was wish him luck and promise I'd be there for him whenever he needed.

He eventually grew out of his Robin persona and made a new name for himself.

**Nightwing.**

He once told me he got the name idea from a Kryptonian story Superman used to tell him. I thought changing his name was a good idea. It was another way for his to forget the past and move on to newer, happier times.

But… After all this time, there is something that slightly unnerves me.

I noticed this much earlier on, but only voiced my thoughts about it whole team 2 years after what had happened to Dick. And I couldn't help the chill that ran up my spine when the whole team agreed; worry and uncertainty, clear in their eyes. Because for the past 2 years and the 3 years to follow…

Dick never once… Laughed.

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><p>I'm sorry if the ending was disappointing. MAYBE I will rewrite it. But for now, this is it! Thanks again everyone for your support! Stay Asterous!<p> 


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